Cable reception not clear on some channels
I have a 3 year old fifth-wheel trailer. I have noticed that the reception on the television, that is when I have cable, varies quite a bit. The channels, say 2-10, are ok, a little bit fuzzy, but I c...
Forum Discussion
Like most businesses, Cable TV and Satellite is OPTIONAL. The cable guys don't roam the highways and byways in tanks and armored personnel carriers forcing people to sign bloated contracts. There are many alternatives with costs going all the way down to the ubiquitous over the air for free. If you are "getting ripped off by cable" it is because you chose to be ripped off.
As for scrambling by cable providers, it is done for two reasons. One, to prevent piracy. Without a scrambled signal, virtually anyone can tap into their transmission lines and steal their product. Scrambling is the digital equivalent to locking your doors.
Secondly, by requiring a set top box, they open up additional profit centers. They now can offer pay for view items. They also can decrease their costs since most customer service items can be accessed through the box. You can change your programming line up, access all the free services such as on demand programming adding value to those services. It is an absolute pain in the rumpus for RV parks, but they make up a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of 1 percent of the business for cable companies. And there are alternatives and workarounds for parks. They just cost significant money which not every park is willing to invest.
As for scrambling by cable providers, it is done for two reasons. One, to prevent piracy. Without a scrambled signal, virtually anyone can tap into their transmission lines and steal their product. Scrambling is the digital equivalent to locking your doors.
Secondly, by requiring a set top box, they open up additional profit centers. They now can offer pay for view items. They also can decrease their costs since most customer service items can be accessed through the box. You can change your programming line up, access all the free services such as on demand programming adding value to those services. It is an absolute pain in the rumpus for RV parks, but they make up a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of 1 percent of the business for cable companies. And there are alternatives and workarounds for parks. They just cost significant money which not every park is willing to invest.
